


Shadows on Jedha

by OasisMirror



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Chirrut adopts people, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Misunderstandings, Slow Burn, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-16 10:58:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18520066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OasisMirror/pseuds/OasisMirror
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi is poisoned on a mission with a substance that causes memory lapeses and a strange disconnection from the Force.  After two weeks and no improvement, the Jedi Council sends him and his master Qui-Gon Jinn to the holy Jedha City to seek recovery with the Guardians of the Whills.





	1. Transport

**Author's Note:**

> I read Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray, realized that Chirrut and Baze were about Obi-Wan's age and knew I had to get Chirrut and Qui-Gon in the same room. I hope you love it!

The mission hadn’t failed, but Qui-Gon Jinn would not have considered it successful.

He and his 18-year-old Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi had been assigned to escort a diplomat from one city to another on the war-torn planet of Trask.  It was not a routine assignment, but the diplomat was there to broker peace and hopefully bring an end to the war and enfold Trask into the Republic as a whole.

This had happened, with the help of the two Jedi, but in the process Obi-Wan had gotten a face full of poison.  The boy had dropped more quickly than Qui-Gon could catch him, and he’d hit his head on the cobblestone street. 

What had followed the next couple of days had been a harrowing fight for Obi-Wan’s life.  The memory was fresh and made Qui-Gon’s blood run a bit cold. He took a breath and tried to center himself.

“Why are we going to Jedha again, Master?” His padawan’s voice broke him from his reverie.  

There were few aboard the transport ship on it’s way to Jedha, and the ship was mostly cargo on its way to the far-off planet.  The Jedi wore simple brown robes, and had made themselves as comfortable as they could amid the crates. There were no quarters per-se, but this was the fastest ship to Jedha City and while time wasn’t pressing, Qui-Gon felt the weight of urgency upon him.

“You need a vacation, Obi-Wan,” he said, and tried to keep his voice light.

His apprentice hadn’t been the same since the poisoning and subsequent head injury.  Qui-Gon blamed himself, of course, but tried not to let the guilt overwhelm him. The quick, brave boy he’d raised these past few years was still inside him, Qui-Gon had seen glimpses here and there, but it was as if something was stuck within his mind and poor Obi-Wan seemed to be wandering through a haze.  He was often tired, and not often hungry. He reached out through their bond and found a quiet sort of mist settled over the his padawan’s soul. Obi-Wan was in there, Qui-Gon just wasn’t sure how to reach him.

“Why?  The medics cleared me,” he replied, and that was true enough.  It was another worrying piece to the puzzle. “And I feel fine, mostly.”

“Yes.  I know,” Qui-Gon replied.  This was the third time they’d had a variation on this discussion in the last 12 hours, though Obi-Wan didn’t seem to remember that.  “Master Yoda thought this might be a good idea, for us both.”

“Master Yoda…” this thought bumped around in Obi-Wan’s head for a moment before it brought up an association and his face lit up.  “The Kyber caves!” he exclaimed, a little too loudly. He looked sheepishly up at his Master. “We talked about this, didn’t we?”

“We did,” Qui-Gon said, and it was a near thing to keep his tone light even as he wrapped an arm around Obi-Wan’s shoulders.  “I’ll repeat it as many times as you need me to.”

His memory wasn’t getting worse, but after two frustrating weeks at the temple, it wasn’t getting any better either.  There were terrible nightmares and maybe worst of all, it felt like he was fading in the Force. Not dying, but drifting slowly away from his connection to Qui-Gon and the world around him.  It was not a comforting feeling. He’d shared his concerns with the Jedi Council and the healers and they’d agreed to try to connect Obi-Wan to the Force through the Kyber Caves on Jedha. The holy order of the Guardians of the Whills guarded these caves and they were very friendly to the Jedi Order.  A request for a retreat had been sent to the temple in Jedha City and they’d gotten a quick and very affirmative answer.

So now, here they were.

Obi-Wan nodded, then leaned into Qui-Gon and almost immediately fell asleep.  Qui-Gon felt a white hot bolt of helpless guilt wash over him and he rested his cheek on his apprentices head.  More than just a student, he and and Obi-Wan were partners, their bond had been hard fought for. The two men did not share much in common theologically or otherwise, but they’d come to understand one another.

“What if I never get better?” Obi-Wan murmured.  Not asleep then.

He’d thought about this question.  Of course he had. The toxin Obi-Wan had inhaled was unknown.  They had gotten him to the healer on Trask far too late to determine what it had been. ‘Absorbed into his system without a trace’ was what he had been told, as his Padawan lay struggling for his life.  The after-effects were palpable, to say nothing of the recovery from the concussion. “The future is always in motion, Obi-Wan. Try not to center on your anxieties. Keep your mind here and now.”

“Will you leave me?” Obi-Wan asked, his voice nearly whisper-soft, barely able to be heard over the engines.

“We will figure out a plan, together, if you do not recover, Padawan.  I will not leave you.” _How could I?_

He nudged the boy’s weary mind toward sleep and finally Obi-Wan’s breathing evened out.  He easily picked up and moved his apprentice so he was laying in the pile of textiles nearby that the pair had used for rest the last couple of days.  Obi-Wan was easy to carry and Qui-Gon’s heart clenched again at the weight the young man had lost. He covered Obi-Wan with his own robe, then went back to the crates and tried to meditate.

The captain of the ship, a Twi’lek named Rose came back to check on them.  Her skin was a lovely pink color and she was very kind to the both of them.  Qui-Gon felt he owed her a debt for simply being who she was, his soul could have taken very little roughness.

“How is he?” she asked, glancing to the sleeping Jedi.  He was handsome, for a human. Most of them were at a certain age, she’d found.  His face was round and she found his haircut strange, but interesting. Human hair was so intriguing, as she had none herself.

The Master Jedi was closer to her own age, she guessed.  He, she had a hard time reading, but he was friendly enough.  Now the anguish was apparent in his eyes. She took it as a sign to sit next to him on the crates, their knees almost touching.  “Not good?”

“No, but not bad either.  It seems like he sits a crossroads and is simply stuck there.”  He sighed. “How do you mourn for someone who isn’t gone?”

“Hey, he might come back, yet.  Brains are funny things, for Twi’lek too.”  She nudged him with her shoulder. “Don’t give up, Master Jedi.  All hope is not lost. He’s a strong boy, yes?”

“Undoubtedly.”

“And you say he’s still inside himself, yes?”

“I believe so.”

“Then trust him,” She smiled at him warmly and patted his shoulder.  “You are a good father to him, I can tell.”

Qui-Gon shook his head.  “Thank you, Captain, I’m not his father.”

She looked at him for a long time.  “Fine, companion? Does it matter? You’re good to him, and that matters, Master Jedi.  All sentient beings want to be seen and loved, even damaged ones, and I can see that you love him.  That’s good!” She stood. “It’ll all work out, you’ll see.”

Qui-Gon gave her a small smile that barely reached his eyes, but he did feel a bit better.  “Thank you.” It would be as the Force willed it.


	2. Chirrut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chirrut does forms, Baze is distracted and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan arrive in the Holy City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to do POV chapters for a while :)

The Temple of the Whills rose early, and Chirrut Imwe had not slept. Not one wink. He’d turned 18 last week and that meant he got his own small room, which he disliked more in principle than in practice. He missed his roommates. He was not a man interested in being alone for any length of time. Chirrut loved people, and his fellow students were some of his best friends. But they were not the reason he couldn’t sleep.

The next day he and Baze Malbus, his best friend, were going to retrieve real Jedi from the landing pad in the city. Chirrut, who had grown more mellow in his late teens, still nearly vibrated with energy, and he’d never met a Jedi. They didn’t come here often, and he’d been on pilgrimage to the desert the last time they’d had a visitor from Coruscant. He had so many questions.

He took off his tunic and ran through his forms instead of sleeping. The room was small, but there was room enough for an 8 form. He walked through the steps and hand motions slowly, then quicker and quicker until he was sweating and his mind was clear. He did this for two hours until it was nearly midnight. He sighed and mopped his brow with his robe, then opened his door intending to walk in the cold air and get himself some water. He nearly collided with Baze, who’s hand was raised to knock.

“Oh, Hello Baze. I was going after water, do you want to join me?”

The other boy’s mouth was hanging open slightly, he closed it. Chirrut knew the effect he had on his fellow monk and he relished in it. Preened a little even. He liked attention, and Baze’s attention most of all.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Baze said distractedly.

“I didn’t ask,” Chirrut answered happily and grinned as Baze tried not to sputter. He took the other boy's hand in his own and led him toward the well in the courtyard that was their primary source of water.

It was frigid out, as it always was at night here, but Chirrut welcomed it. Steam curled off of his bare torso. Baze was trying not to stare. His best friend was broader in the chest than nearly anyone at the temple. He was human and very tall. His face was pleasant and Chirrut found Baze’s eyes to be soulful. More than that, he was a steady presence, and always reliable, which Chirrut couldn’t resist. They’d been inseparable since childhood. Lately, however, their friendship seemed to be transforming into something more, a feeling that Chirrut watched with curiosity and amusement.

“Why are you not wearing your tunic?” Baze asked in a sort of stunned voice that Chirrut revelled in.

“I couldn’t sleep, either. I was doing forms.”

He could feel Baze frowning at the back of his head. Chirrut’s friend was more internal in his studies than Chirrut himself and when they were in the novice communal living Baze would have sat with him to meditate.

“Don’t frown at me,” Chirrut said, glancing back over his shoulder. “I’m an adult now, I can do things my way.”

“The answer to everything isn’t punching.”

“I wasn’t punching,” he said as they approached the well. “I was doing forms. It’s my way of meditating. If you miss me so much, you should put in a transfer to room together.” He let go of Baze’s hand to draw up the bucket and drank deep from it with the cup.

“Why don’t you do that?” Baze asked, clearly before he could stop himself.

Chirrut shrugged. The reason was simple. He was a lot to deal with. He knew it. He saw it on others faces and sometimes was told outright. He refused to inflict himself upon someone who didn’t want him around, even Baze, who deserved a break if he needed one.

They said nothing more, but walked back to Chirrut’s room in silence, hand-in-hand again. “I’ll see you in the morning,” Chirrut said and grinned at his friend.

“Try to sleep, Cricket.”

“You too, Baze.”

~*~

So it was 6am, their meditations and breakfast had been had and now they were dressed in their warm black and red robes and ready to go out into the city.

“No distractions,” said Shifu Katrical, though she was smiling a bit. “Do not stop for morning alms, we have others going out this morning.”

It would be strange to walk through the city and not ask for offerings as they usually did, but change was exciting and Chirrut was, as ever, easily excited. He turned his dark eyes on Baze and grinned. “Ready?” he asked, holding out his hand.

Baze took the offered hand without hesitation and they were off.

~*~

They arrived just as the ship landed. The monks waited for the gangplank to lower. Chirrut was bouncing a bit on the balls of his feet.

“Patience,” Baze muttered, clearly a little embarrassed.

Chirrut stilled, but he was still clearly eager.

The two men who walked out of the ship were clearly exhausted. The smaller leaned on the taller. They studied one another for a moment. Chirrut liked them instantly.

Master Qui-Gon Jinn had a broad, handsome, even kind face. His gray eyes were warm, even through his worry. He was also maybe the tallest human Chirrut had ever met, not that he’d met many. His apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi had bright blue eyes and a thin, handsome face that didn’t look quite right. The situation was more dire than the Guardians had known.

Chirrut walked up to them and extended a hand. “I am Chirrut Imwe, this is my friend, Baze Malbus, we will be escorting you to the Temple.”

Master Qui-Gon shook his hand with a nod, then Baze’s. Obi-Wan did the same. Chirrut felt something click between them when they touched. It was as if they’d known one another for years. A connection, a spark. He did not let go of Obi-Wan’s hand as he began back the way they’d come, unwilling to lose the new-found bond.

Baze and Qui-Gon followed, the former in dismay, the latter with curiosity.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan is confused, Chirrut is chatty, Baze is embarrassed, but they make it to the temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be lots of platonic touching in this story. Just a heads up.

Obi-Wan had spent much of the last two weeks confused. Life had been reduced to a strange haze. Stimulus entered his senses, but didn’t seem to quite penetrate through to his mind and heart in the way that he suspected they should. At first it had been jarring, but now it just felt like he’d been this way his entire life. Not even the pain on Master Qui-Gon’s face was enough to penetrate the fog.

They threw words around, brain damage, neurological problems...none of them meant much to him. He knew what they meant, of course, but in the greater context of his gray-colored life, it made very little difference.

Then a strange young monk took his hand and a spark ran through his hand and jump-started his heart. It was as if color and warmth leaked into him through the touch. 

He led Obi-Wan and his Master through the streets of Jedha and to the Temple of the Guardians of the Whills. It was on a hill above the rest of the city, which itself sat on a plateau. Chirrut talked the entire way there.

“There are 55 novices, 35 students and 5 masters. The novices mostly go home to their families at night, but with us they get food and an education in exchange for chores around the temple-”

It went on like this, but Obi-Wan found he was zoning most of it out, focused on the strange boy’s warm hand. He turned at looked at his Master who was right behind him talking with Baze. Qui-Gon met his eye, looked at Chirrut, then back to Obi-Wan and shrugged. Obi-Wan quirked a smile and tuned back into Chirrut. “You’ll stay with me and Baze. Master Qui-Gon will get his own room. I hope he teaches us a lesson or two, that would be amazing. Just wait until you see the temple. It’s very charming, everyone says so. I’m sorry that you’re sick, but we are excited to have you.”

Baze cut in with the city’s native tongue. Obi-Wan sensed annoyance in the other boy.

Chirrut looked over his shoulder and said something back. It was a pretty language, tonal and fast. Obi-Wan studied Chirrut’s face as he talked. It was oval and round, his cheeks had a fullness to them that belied his strong grip. His dark eyes were warm and sharp and his lips seemed perpetually quirked upward at one side. Obi-Wan could sense no darkness in him whatsoever. More than that, he was unpretentious in his friendliness. Obi-Wan liked him, he decided.

He felt a short rush of reassurance across the bond between he and Qui-Gon, he sent back a pulse of acceptance. These two were good, there was no doubt about it. They meant the Jedi no harm, and more than that, they seemed happy to have them. That wasn’t always the case with new planets. They shone strangely in the Force, open and bright.

The rest of the walk passed in a bit of a blur, but Chirrut chattered happily the entire way. Soon they were inside the temple grounds. It was humble but clean and Obi-Wan was pleased to discover the floors were heated because he’d begun to shiver about halfway here. Chirrut helped him take off his boots and they put them near the door. The sandstone was smooth and comforting under his feet. He watched Qui-Gon do the same, and then they were shown to a small room where Chirrut finally let him go.

“I’ll be back,” he promised. “Two hours, meditation time. I’ll take you to meet everyone else, and then we’ll go swimming,” he said and grinned his wide smile. Obi-Wan found himself smiling back.

“They seem nice,” Qui-Gon said, sitting on his bed roll. The room was barely large enough for the tall Jedi to lay down in. Obi-Wan sat next to him, feeling suddenly bereft of the hand that had held his. “I think Chirrut Imwe likes you.”

Obi-Wan glanced up at the stoic man who glanced down at him, his bright blue eyes sparkling, a smile pulling at his lips.

“I don’t know where you get that idea,” Obi-Wan answered, returning the smile. “There is something different about these monks.”

“Oh?”

“They...shine...somehow,” Obi-Wan said. “That isn’t the right word but...they’re connected to the Force, closely. More than I thought they would be.”

“They do seem to walk closely to the will of the Force, yes,” Qui-Gon answered, thoughtfully. “You seem happier, how do you feel?”

Obi-Wan considered for a long moment. “Warm,” he answered honestly.

Qui-Gon smiled a bit and that, to Obi-Wan felt like improvement.


End file.
